1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a product delivery apparatus, such as a fan wheel or the like of a printing press, which includes a modified arrangement for interacting with a product feed, or transport.
2. State of the Art
The use of delivery fans for receiving products, such as signatures from a printing press, is known. Such delivery fans are typically located between a folder and a press delivery conveyor, the delivery fan including a plurality of fan blades for forming pockets that receive signatures from the folder as the delivery fan is rotated about its axis. A product feed which includes, for example, conveyor belts, transport tapes and/or rollers is typically used to transport the product from the folder to the delivery fan or fans.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,179 discloses a delivery fan with undulated fan pockets. The fan includes two sets of blades. The blades of one set are equally spaced apart axially and define one side of each pocket. The blades of the other set are equally spaced apart axially and define the other side of each pocket. The blades of the two sets have surfaces for engaging opposite sides of a signature and for deforming the signature into undulations extending in a direction transverse to the transport direction of the signature. Due to frictional contact between the signature and the surfaces of the pocket, the signature is slowed down to minimize buckling or bouncing of the signature in the respective pocket.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,033 discloses a folder apparatus for a web-fed printing press. There are two fan arrangements, each having a plurality of mutually adjacent fans spaced apart from one another on a common axis, the common axes for each of the two fan arrangements being disposed parallel to one another. Each of the fans in one of the two fan arrangements is disposed adjacent to and in a respective common plane with a respective one of the fans in the other of the two fan arrangements. Each fan includes fan blades having tips located about the fan""s periphery, the fan blade tips being located in a common plane with the fan blade tips of a respective fan in the other fan arrangement. The circumferences of the two fan arrangements, as defined by the respective fan blade tips, are configured to intersect one another. A device is provided on the fan arrangements for preventing a collision of the respective fan blade tips.
Although delivery fans are thus known for engaging and forming a product which has been received from a product feed (e.g., conveyor belts or transport tapes), currently available delivery fans are configured with the product feed interlaced between the mutually adjacent fan blades which have been spaced apart from one another along a common axis. For example, the transport tapes described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,033 are located between the mutually adjacent fan blades in each of the two fan arrangements, with the fan blades and the transport tapes being staggered along a direction parallel to the axes of the two fan arrangements. However, such a configuration results in significant drawbacks. For example, such a configuration results in problems with book marking. Further, due to a lack of frictional contact and product control, the bottom of signatures which are transported from the product feed (i.e., the transport tapes) typically crash into the bottom of the fan pockets, thereby damaging the signatures.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a product delivery apparatus which includes, for example, a fan wheel and associated product feed, and which provides for better control during transport of products into the delivery fan pockets without merely increasing the number of mutually adjacent fans in each fan arrangement.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing a product delivery apparatus which includes a fan wheel or the like having a modified arrangement for interacting with a product feed device, to enhance the control with which products are delivered into the pockets of the fan wheel. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, characteristics of the fan wheel are adjusted with regard to the product feed to accommodate product delivery requirements. More particularly, exemplary embodiments are directed to modifying a fan wheel to include a receiving area in each fan tip for receiving a product feed device (e.g., conveyor belt, tape drive, roller and so forth), such that the product feed devices can be placed in alignment with the fan blades of the fan wheel. Such a feature provides better control of the products as they are transported into the fan blades, since the product feed can be placed in closer proximity to a fan arrangement along the direction of product transport. Further, such a feature allows for the use of wider fan tips which can produce increased frictional surface contact with products being received from the product feed, and thereby reduce the possibility of product crashing within the fan pockets. Exemplary embodiments can therefore achieve enhanced product control without increasing the number of tape drives and/or delivery fans.
In accordance with alternate exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the modified fan blades can include replaceable fan blade tips having receiving areas as described above, such that the fan blade tips can be readily substituted to, for example, accommodate different product feeds and/or product characteristics. Where the split tip fan blades are formed as replaceable fan blade tips, an easy exchange of parts of the fan wheels is feasible without dismounting the fan wheel arrangement in its entirety. The solution allows for retrofitting of fan tips with fan blade tips having a different curvature, a different material and/or a different size receiving area. Damaged fan tips due to wear can also be easily exchanged. Furthermore, by mounting fan blade tips of different material, a rebalancing of fan wheel arrangements can easily be achieved.
Generally speaking, exemplary embodiments of a product delivery apparatus according to the invention include:
at least one fan wheel which is rotatably mounted;
a plurality of fan blades included on said at least one fan wheel; and
a receiving area included within each of said fan blades for receiving a product feed used to transport a product into pockets of said fan blades.